


You Were Never Part of the Plan

by Cynical_Grundle



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-04 16:20:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16350011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cynical_Grundle/pseuds/Cynical_Grundle
Summary: Nick Wilde trains to become a police officer while Judy Hopps takes on a couple of cases. Later on, their partnership is endangered when one decides their friendship isn't enough.





	You Were Never Part of the Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Yup, it's another fluff filled trashfic. Initially started as a means of bringing creativity back into my life, but now, after reading a number of fics, I see it as a treatise for keeping characters IN-character as well as learning some basic freaking grammar. Good Lord... After the last few fics I've found, I quit reading them part way because of bad grammar, equally bad formating, and characters being portrayed in an almost Bizarro-like manner. And no, the fics in question weren't AUs(alternate universes), but rather an after-the-story/pseudo sequel, which, much to my embarrassment, is what this fic will be. That said, I have no delusion of being a great or even good writer, but I certainly believe that my work won't be an eyesore. (Also, I might let slip a few grammatical/spelling mistakes myself, but compared to what I've seen in the few bad apples I've read, they should be negligible.)
> 
> Now, I love Zootopia. I really do. It's one of the first Disney animated films I've bothered acknowledging in the past decade because it was a MOVIE and not another God-damned musical. But, in the first year it came out, I tried to ignore it. I didn't like Disney, I wanted nothing to do with Disney, but as a person with, say, "eclectic tastes", I couldn't help but encounter it in various parts of the Internet that I frequent. Then one message on an image board in a thread that was describing movies with one sentence caught my eye. "Zootopia - A cop starts a race riot." Initially I was dumbfounded, as I couldn't possibly believe that statement had any kernel of truth to it. But after seeing quite a number of responses agreeing with it in spades, my next thought was "How the fuck did Disney swing that?!" One viewing later and I was enthralled. I couldn't get enough of the universe it portrayed. Then, after over a year of fan art, fan fics, and scouring wikis for every iota of info I could get... here we are.
> 
> Lastly, anyone who's had a sufficient taste of the fandom MAY see some similar themes, subjects, and (possibly) lines from other works in this fic. I will admit to not being at my creative best, but even if I were, I know that I wouldn't be the first to come up with certain topics that would've been brought up by anyone else. With that, I will be giving credit, or recognition of inspiration, to those who gave me ideas for my work at the bottom of this chapter. If anyone feels that I have, intentionally or not, "ripped off" someone else's work in any degree, please let me know. If it was from someone's piece that I HAVE viewed and simply forgotten to list, I will certainly give them a mention and make a revision to the notes if need be. If was from someone that I have absolutely no recognition of, all I can say is that coincidences are a thing.

"Look, I know it's going to be hard for a while, but you'll get by. You put the money in your account, so you'll be good for the next ten months," Nick pleaded. "It's not about the money, Nicholas. I just don't understand why you have this sudden interest in becoming a police officer. Such a dangerous job... I can't imagine what I'd do if you were to... to..." Tears began to form on Elizabeth's eyes as she screwed them shut and turned away from Nick as she sat in her recliner. Placing a paw on the vixen's arm, Nick tried to soothe her. "I'll be fine, I swear it. And I already explained to you about Judy and how I helped her. The Night Howler case is the craziest thing that's happened in the city, and I got through it just fine. It can only get easier from here on out, and if I'm going to be defending the city from criminals, I may as well get paid for it," he finished with a charming smile, though his ears betrayed his concern by flattening to the back of his head.  
  
Sniffling back her tears a little, Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked back at Nick. "Oh, Nicholas, I just don't know." She paused for a bit before continuing. "Whatever that bunny said or did to convince you, it had better be worth risking your life on a near-daily basis. So, go on. Go get your training at the academy. Learn everything you need to become an officer... Especially the parts about keeping yourself safe!" Her last statement was punctuated with a stern look and a finger pointed at him. Nick rolled his eyes as he nodded. "I will. Don't worry about it. I'll visit every month or so to check up on you, okay?" Standing up from the sofa, he leaned over Elizabeth and gave her a hug. "I love you, Mom." Slowy, she returned the embrace. "I love you, too, Nicky. Please stay safe."  
  
They remained locked in each other's arms for several seconds before Nick attempted to pull away. "...Mom? Mom, you can let go now." She squeezed him tighter, saying "Just a little longer." Chuckling, he placed his paws on her shoulders, giving her a gentle shove. "C'mon, Judy's waiting for me at the station. I'm going to miss the train." She huffed at him as she released her hold on him. "Oh, fine. Goodbye, Nicky. Call me when you get there." Nick picked up his duffle bag, which contained his clothes and a few miscellaneous items, by the hallway entrance, slipped the strap around his shoulder, and turned back to his mother. "It'll be the first thing I do the second the train stops. Bye, Mom," he said as he waved to her while leaving the living room. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth waved back to him. She then exhaled slowly as soon as she heard him leave the apartment, twiddling the small golden cross that hung from her necklace between her thumb and finger. "Oh, by The Three... Please don't end up like your father."  
  
After shutting the door behind him, Nick adjusted the tie on his trademark leaf-patterned Pawaiian shirt, and started down the few steps of the front porch. His mother's home was one of five small, two story apartments with stained red-brick walls and missing shingles from years of neglectful maintenance. It was the last in a line of row houses, ending right at the street corner. Another set of apartments from the same complex ran toward the other end of the block. Almost all of the neighborhood was in a similar state: cramped buildings, cracked sidewalks and roads, and graffiti on every block. The early evening light began to cast shadows throughout the city, giving the area an even shadier look to it.  
  
A buzz eminated from one of his pants pockets, signaling that he just recieved a message on his phone. He pulled it out to examine it, finding that he got a text from the taxi driver he scheduled to pick him up. It read "Im about a min from ya. B rdy". Shaking his head in amusement from the shorthand used in the text, he put the phone back in his pocket and leaned on a nearby utility pole. A few seconds later, a black, mid-sized car with the logo of Callihan's Taxis on its sides pulled up to the curb in front of the building and honked its horn. Smiling at the sight of the vehicle, Nick walked over to it and entered the back seat after throwing his bag in first.  
  
"Well, well, if it ain't good ol' Nicholas. Where we headin', lad? The usual dropoff?" asked the driver, a middle-aged badger dressed in slacks, a brown shirt, a black vest, and a flat cap, without looking back. "Hey, Sullivan. Not this time. I need to get to Central Station." As Sullivan pulled from the curb and into traffic, he replied "Central Station? Now where can that take ye, our best customer, that Callihan's can't?" Smirking, Nick said "Now, now. I'm not about to give up the last transportation company that didn't originate from the Internet in the city for my specific destination needs. But, from what I researched, it'd be a heck of a lot cheaper to take the train to the Zootopia Police Academy than to have you drive me out there."  
  
"Okay, either yer coddin' me and you said that yer goin' to the police academy, or I'm too knackered to be drivin' about right now, much less hear proper."  
  
"I'm afraid you heard right, Sully. Yours truly is going to be a cop."  
  
"Fer the love of The Lion... I always figured you were a chancer, but this..." Sullivan trailed off before shaking his head and continuing. "Well, fair play to ya, boyo. Shoulda guessed that hero o' Zootopia would be takin' to a full-time job of protectin' us commoners. I just hope you won't be tradin' good ol' Callihan's for a cherry-top." Nick chuckled at that as he looked out the window. "Don't count on it. I haven't even gotten my driver's license yet, so I don't think they'll be trusting me with my own patrol car any time soon." The conversation ended there as Nick watched the buildings pass by, gradually turning from the ragged slum look of his mother's neighborhood to the cleaner, more modern looking structures toward Central Station.  
  
Several minutes passed before Nick's sightseeing was interrupted when his phone called out for him in the form of a song. Gazelle's "Try Everything" played, to the slight embarassment of Nick, signalling that his future partner in law enforcement, Judy Hopps, was calling him. Sullivan glanced at him through the rear-view mirror, grinning as Nick answered his phone. "Hey, Carrots... Yup, I'm almost there. You haven't been waiting long, have you?... Ha, sorry about that. I had to make a stop before heading out, making sure things will be fine while I'm away... Yeah, something like that. So, I'll be meeting you outside of the station in a few minutes. See you in a bit. Bye." He quickly wrapped up the end of the call before putting the phone back into his pants pocket.  
  
"So, who was that you was talkin' to? I ain't never heard you call anyone 'Carrots' afore in all the time I've known ya," asked Sullivan as he stopped along with the other vehicles at the traffic light. "That," Nick started as he turned his head toward the badger, "was the **real** hero of Zootopia, Judy Hopps. She's going to be seeing me off at the train station, and she'll be my partner once I graduate."  
  
"Hopps... Hopps..." Sullivan mused as he stroked the underside of his muzzle. "Ah, the rabbit what caused the ruckus with the pred hatin' over a month ago?"  
  
"Now hold on," began Nick sternly, leaning foward. "She may have said some stupid things back then, but she's better than that. She was a country bunny that grew up with a close-minded family, and that transitioned into her speech at the press conference, but she didn't know what she was saying. And even though she never meant to demonize the predator community, I still blew her off right after she was done. It bothered her so much that even after she tried to do damage control as a cop, she wound up leaving her job and the city entirely. It wasn't until last week that she came back to set things straight, right after she apologized to me, asking for my help."  
  
As traffic began to move again, he took a deep breath and leaned back in his seat before continuing. "So, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have bothered to do anything. The real criminal would've gotten away, and we'd be in cages, snarling at each other. That's why she's the real hero, not me."  
  
Sullivan's mouth was left agape for a moment before he spoke. "Sweet River, Nicholas! I was only lettin'-on about that. I saw you both on the news outside that museum and read the reports what followed. That rabbit's fine in my book, all things considered now. Feckin'... I swear, I've never seen ye go off like that about any'ting. Now, I don't mean nothin' by this, but what's lit a fire under yer arse about this Hopps lass?"  
  
Lifting a paw to the top of his head, Nick closed his eyes and gently smoothed back his fur and ears before opening his eyes with a calmer expression. "Sorry. I guess leaving the city has me a little on edge... but really, I'm about to start a life changing path that, honestly, I would've never considered if it wasn't for Hopps. She believes that I can do a lot of good as a cop, and I believe in her, so I don't want anything or anyone to discredit her."  
  
Nodding at Nick's words, Sullivan made a turn at another intersection. "Yeah, okay, I sees yer point. But, what I'm wonderin' is what she is to you, boyo. From what I've gathered from ya, ya haven't known her for terribly long, but now yer goin' from someone pullin' nixers to joinin' the boys in blue?" Nick let out a huff of amusement before noticing that they were approaching Central Station. "Well, Sully, ol' pal, let's just say she reminds me a little bit of myself." Sullivan pulled up to the nearest available spot designated for dropoffs and pickups. "Bah, alright... Well, here we are. Central Station. That'll be $12.50," said Sullivan as he looked at the price gauge for the trip.  
  
Having his wallet out by the time they stopped, Nick pulled out a ten and a five dollar bill, handed them to Sullivan, and said "Keep the change." Taking the money and slipping it into the till attached to the side of his door, Sullivan turned back to Nick and said with a smirk "Ya can't keep givin' me extra and expectin' free rides at some point, ya eejit." Laughing at that, Nick grabbed his duffle bag and opened his door. "I'll stop expecting one when you stop taking the extra money," said Nick as he stepped out of the vehicle, leaving Sullivan grumbling at his remark. Before closing the door, Nick leaned his head back in the car. "By the way, you should really cut back on that accent. I think I only understood half of what you said today. An improvement, but still," he finished with a wide smile and a wink as he shut the door and began walking away. "You feckin'- Bah!" shouted Sullivan, though muted through the closed up taxi, before pulling out and driving away.  
  
Readjusting the strap of his duffle bag on his shoulder, Nick headed towards the entrance of the station. The large amount of mammals walking in, out, and through the large terminal was a bit overwhelming, but everyone was moving at a steady pace, making sure that foot traffic wasn't held up. It was only after a few steps forward when he heard his name being shouted through the noise of the masses. "Nick! Nick!" Ears pricking upward, Nick tried to locate the source of his attention seeker. "Nick!" he heard again as his eyes focused in the direction of the shout. Eventually, he saw the pair of familiar ears sticking up over the head of Judy, who was hobbling through the herds of mammals on a crutch. She was wearing a long-sleeved white t-shirt and blue denim jean shorts, exposing gauze wrapping up her right leg, which was still recovering from the deep cut she recieved from the tusk display at the museum.  
  
Walking towards her, Nick greeted her with a smile before she spoke. "Hey, Slick. Ready to take the first step in making the world a better place?" she said, smiling back up at him. Chuckling slightly, Nick replied "What? Stopping Bellwether from taking over the city doesn't count?" Though still smiling, she gave him an annoyed look. "It helped push the approval process to get you into the academy, but you still have to earn your badge like everyone else before you can be a police officer." Eyes drifting downward, Nick glanced at Judy's injury. "How's your leg doing?" Looking down at her leg, Judy stuck her leg out to give it a little wiggle. "A lot better now that most of the pain is gone. In fact, I'm going to be getting the stitches removed next week, and then I'll be able to get back to work the following day."  
  
"Why am I not surprised that you're so eager to get back to being a cop?" said Nick as he looked back up. "Though, you should probably take it easy on your first day back. Wouldn't want them thinking you're trying to abuse your medical leave by having your leg split open again." Rolling her eyes, Judy responded "Har-har. I know my limits, Wilde. Now, let's get you on that train so you can get ready to push yours." She turned to begin walking, using the crutch to support her bad leg, toward the platform of the train Nick was to board. He followed by walking alongside her. "Wow, I haven't even graduated, and you're already bossing me around," replied Nick as he cast a side glance down at Judy next to him.  
  
"Don't worry. Unless by some miracle I get a promotion while you're training, I won't be able to pull rank on you. Then again, I suppose someone has to keep you in line, huh?"  
  
"I guess I can suffer taking orders from you again, so long as you aren't blackmailing me anymore, that is," said Nick. Judy turned her head towards him as they continued walking. "Hey, don't say that. It sounds like you think I'm forcing you to be my partner. And besides, my pen can only hold one recording at a time, so your confession was erased the second you used it to record me saying... Well, you know," she finished as she slowly faced forward again, her ears drooping as she started to feel embarassed. Putting a paw around her shoulder, Nick said "Sorry, I was just joking about that. Although, I am glad to hear that the previous messages are gone. We certainly don't need Chief Buffalo Butt to know just how much of a crook I am, or how much of an emotional bunny you are." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before letting go of her.  
  
Appreciating the gesture, Judy's ears started to rise up again, and her tail wiggled slightly. Then, using her free arm, which was conveniently on the side Nick was, she gave him a soft punch on his arm and said "Just remember to start filling out your taxes when you start getting proper paychecks." Wincing in mock pain, Nick put a paw on the spot he was struck. "Oof! Talk about police brutality. Sending me to the academy with a broken arm is just cruel and unusual." Huffing in amusement, she replied "If you can't take a tiny hit like that, then I doubt you'll last a week, broken arm or not."  
  
The two were nearing the edge of the boarding platform. "Ha, don't count me out so quickly, Carrots. I already have the advantage of knowing this city like the back of my paw. A broken arm is only going to put me on par with the rest of the recruits." Judy chuckled at that with a snort. "Alright, alright. Don't get too cocky now. Being confident is one thing, but you still have to back up your words with action," she said as they stopped within the boarding area. "Oh, Carrots, first physical abuse and now verbal abuse?" said Nick as he placed a paw over his heart. "You know just as well as I do that I'm a mammal of action."  
  
Shaking her head, Judy let out resigned sigh. "Okay, I get it. You're ready, willing, and able." She stood quietly for a few seconds before turning to face Nick, glancing at his duffle bag. "That's kind of a big bag you got there, Slick. You sure you only packed the essentials?" Nick faced her in turn, gesturing with the bag by lifting it up slightly before putting it back in its resting position. "Sure did. I was just hoping you were up for the idea of me sneaking you into the academy so you can help me with the written exams," he said as he leaned down to her, unzipping his bag about halfway, looking at her with hopeful eyes, giving an open mouth smile, and wiggling his eyebrows up and down.  
  
Judy gave him a dirty look with eyes half lidded in annoyance, frown scrunched to one side, and a paw placed on her hip. They both held their expressions for a short while until Nick surrendered by standing straight back up, zipping his bag closed, and said "Fine, I get it. You don't want to spend anymore time away from the city than you already have. Besides, it's not like I'll need help with that anyways, as I'm familiar with most of the city's laws already." Judy's face changed into a happier expression, smiling and looking up at him with her wide violet eyes. "Hey, Nick?" she began to say before slowly rubbing her paws together. "Yeah, Fluff?" he responded, gently smiling down at her as she took in a deep breath.  
  
"I just want to thank you again for doing this. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're willing to go to the academy, become an officer, and be my partner. I was grateful enough that you helped me solve the Night Howler case for good, but I didn't expect you to reconsider my offer afterwards. You stayed with me as I was taken to the hospital to get my leg stitched up, and you helped me move back into my apartment. Even though I only had one suitcase, you carried it while helping me up the stairs. That meant a lot to me. You have- I mean, you... You..." she trailed off as she tilted her head down, bringing a clenched paw to her chest, and took another breath of air. "You really are a great friend," she said after looking back up at him with the widest smile she had ever given.  
  
Nick was taken aback by her statement, eyes widening in surprise and a touch of embarrassment on the rest of his face. He quickly regained his composure, softening his features back into his friendly expression. "You're giving me too much credit," he said as he placed a paw on her head, patting it a few times as he continued. "How could anyone not help such a cute little bunny in need?" Judy softly swatted his paw off of her. Then, glaring at him, she pointed a finger towards him and said "Just because we're friends, that doesn't mean you get a free pass at calling me cute. It's inapropriate for a non-bunny to call-"  
  
"Arriving: Zootopia Express," interrupted the computerized announcer through the PA system. Moving his swatted paw back to hold the strap of his bag, Nick turned to look down the tracks to see his train in the distance. "Welp, here's my ride," said Nick as he turned back to Judy. "Any last-minute tips before I take the plunge?" Crossing her arms, though awkwardly due to the crutch under one of them, she shot him a smug look and said "You mean besides **not** annoying your future partner?" Nick gave a toothy smile and shrugged meekly at her in a lousy attempt to appear sorry. Putting her arms back down and shaking her head, Judy said "You're probably gonna catch a lot of flak from the other recruits just for being a fox. I know I wasn't given the best treatment there because of my species. Just... Just don't forget why you're doing this. It helped me to get through the academy by always reminding myself of why I chose this path. I wanted to make the world a better place, and eventually, I did. So long as you keep focussing on why you want to achieve your goal, nothing will stop you."  
  
"Don't worry, Carrots. You know me. 'Never let 'em see that they get to you.'," Nick punctuated with a wink. "I'm serious, Nick. If there's anythi-" Judy replied before being interupted by Nick placing his paws on her shoulders and lowering himself down to meet her at eye level. "I'm not going to give up on this. I've toughed some of the worst this city has for over half my life, so no amount of harsh physical training or jeers from ignorant mammals is going to make me think twice about the best opportunity anyone has ever given me to redeem myself. I owe it to you to see this through, and **that** is what will keep me going." Judy just stood with her mouth agape before Nick continued with a grin. "What? You shouldn't get to be the only one who makes heartfelt speeches."  
  
"Now boarding: Zootopia Express," the announcer called.  
  
Smiling wide as Nick stood back up, Judy laughed softly at his remark. "I know you'll do great, Nick," she said as they both turned their heads to see the train finally pull in and come to a complete stop. Looking back at him, she added "I'll miss you." The doors of the train slid open, allowing the exchange between arrivals and new passengers to take place. Facing her in return, Nick replied "Geez, Fluff. It's not like I'm going to completely disappear. I have your number. I'll Muzzletime you whenever I'm free." Taking a few steps toward the train, he paused before turning around to Judy and saluted her. "I'll miss you, too, Officer Hopps." Gasping in delight, Judy saluted him back and said "Good luck, Cadet Wilde." They both ended their gestures simultaneously a second later, and Nick returned to boarding the train.  
  
Judy watched on as Nick stepped into the queue of mammals getting on, desperately trying to keep track of him. She hoped that he would be able to find a seat next to a window on the side of the train she was on. Swaying from side-to-side while raising herself on the ball of her foot of her uninjured leg, she began to feel disappointed in not being able to see him. As her ears began to droop, a vibration from her phone alerted her to a text. She pulled out the phone from her pants pocket and was surprised to see a message from Nick. "2nd car from your right, observation deck" Taking a few steps back and walking over to the next segment of the train, Judy looked up at the glass dome which topped the observation car to see Nick waving at her from above. Eagerly, Judy waved back at him, phone still in paw. Nick couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the bunny waving up at him.  
  
After a few seconds, Nick stopped waving at Judy momentarily, only to resume the gesture when he saw that she kept up with it. They continued to wave to each other, though increasingly slower over time, for over a minute before a chirping alarm was sounded and the doors on the train slid shut, signaling that it was about to depart. The train began to smoothly accelerate as Judy started to hobble alongside it, trying to stay within sight of Nick, while avoiding colliding into the other mammals around her. When the train finally left the station and Nick disappeared into the distance, she stood at the edge of the platform to give him a final wave goodbye. As she lowered her arm back down, she felt a sensation of deja vu. _"Funny. This is just like when I left my old home,"_ she thought to herself when a pang of homesickness struck her. She was quick to brush the feeling off as she continued her thoughts. _"I was there just a few days ago to pack my things. There's no need to be like this."_

Pivoting on her crutch, Judy headed back through the path she took entering the train station. Phone still in paw, she brought up the Zuber app. In the middle of arranging a pickup, she grimmaced at the clock on her phone. Looking up at the sky, still clear blue with only just the barest hint of dusk approaching, she thought _"I can just walk... more or less, back to my place."_ With that, she stuffed her phone back in her pocket and began her trek through the city, back to the Grand Pangolin Arms.

Nick kept peering at the station until he could no longer see it. He then took a seat on one of the benches on the sides of the glass dome capping the observation deck, setting his duffle bag to his side while still slung on his shoulder. Leaning back, he began to take in the sights of the city before the sound of hip-hop music started to blare from his phone. He quickly took it out of his pants pocket and answered it. "Hey, Finn, how's it hustlin'?... Yes, I am actually going through with it... If you were watching, then why did you even ask? Or better yet, why were you spying on me?... Yeah, uh-huh, okay... You may be losing a partner, but you'll still keep your drinking buddy... Sure. See you when I see you. Bye."  
  
By the time Nick hung up, the train had only just entered the Rainforest District. He peered over the mammals getting on and off the train by looking out through the dome behind him as he turned sideways in his seat, leaning slightly on his luggage. This continued throughout the rest of the stops with Nick being thankful that no one else had joined him in his now private cabin. When the train had finally left the mainland through Sahara Square, he took a deep breath and exhaled somewhat shakily, exposing his nervousness to himself as he thought _"This is it. My first time out of the city."_  
  
There were only a couple minutes for Nick to be able to view the landscape beyond the city. He could see rolling fields of tall grass, speckled with a few houses along nearly invisible roads, which led to a small forested area. "Now approaching: Zootopia Police Academy," announced the automated on-board system. Nick's tail flicked at that, and he stood up from his seat, taking his bag with him. He made his way down the side-stairs of the observation car before the train started to slow down. He noticed sparce number of passengers left onboard, all rabbits. _"Carrots did say this train led to Bunnyburrow..."_ Some of them glanced at Nick for only a second before they looked away, trying to appear as though they weren't just looking at him.  
  
To Nick, though, they couldn't have been more obvious that they were trying to be wary of the fox that just showed up. Despite that, he kept his cool demeanor, lazy grin slapped on his face and not looking at anyone or anything in particular. When the train came to a complete stop, Nick casually disembarked, feeling a few gazes back on him again as he left. There were a few passengers getting off from the other cars of the train, including a rhino, two elephants, a tiger, and a hippo. He felt a bit uneasy for possibly being the smallest mammal to join this year. Then again, he knew these couldn't be the only mammals enrolling at the academy.  
  
The walk from the station, which itself was little more than a large shack made of red bricks, was brief down the paved road that ran parallel to the train tracks. The mammals that walked past Nick gave him strange looks. However, Nick still wore the same expression he had when getting off the train, letting their gazes brush off him with ease. He then reached the entrance of the academy. The cobblestone wall, or a simple fence to large mammals, led to an opening with a metal framed, wire linked sign which held the words "ZOOTOPIA POLICE ACADEMY" hanging above it. As he entered, he noticed a uniformed timberwolf patrolling the area. He then turned his attention back to other mammals heading toward the building, which had the unconventional look of a simple house, labeled "Offices" above its door.  
  
Before he followed the rest of them, Nick stopped just outside and took out his phone to make a call. It hardly took a second for it to be answered. "Hi, Mom... Yes, I just arrived, and I'm doing fine... I'm about to check in right now..." His ears began to flatten on his head. "Oh, no, please don't start crying again... Mom, please. This is just the first step for us to start having a better life. Just please trust me on this..." He let out a sigh as he gazed into the sky. "I love you, too. Bye." After putting his phone away, Nick faced the door to the office building and went through it. _"Here we go, Wilde... Your last hustle."_

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, I hope that wasn't a bad start to something I'm not even sure I'm going to finish. Regardless, tell me in the comments what you think about what I've set up so far, and remember: constructive criticism always beats pointless praise and idiotic insults. Thanks for reading.
> 
> As I've mentioned above here the list of artists/writers, in no particular order, that have inspired me to get into writing for Zootopia. (apologies for any incorrect spelling or punctuation)  
> \- The Weaver, Spintherella, MisterMead, Borba, Luraiokun, TheWyvernsWeaver, BernieLover, Yitexity, RobertFiddler, Akiric, Kulkum, Rick Griffin, Eric Schwartz, Rem289, Skeletonguys-and-Ragdolls, Dogear/Inumimi Moeta, Hyentaig  
> And a few writers that I found on AO3.  
> \- midnightopheliac, Pixiestick_cc, BlueDouble


End file.
